A/N: Okay, I know I may have used the phrase 'Oh god' a few times but I never swear so if you feel it fits in better feel free to sub it in yourself as you read. I know they may seem slightly OOC but as I said it's been 10 years and they have been through a lot. As always feel free to suggest songs because i can never think of a suitable one. Enough babbling so...

On with the next chapter...

Chapter 4

While still unsure of whether to stay or run Beca felt the overwhelming need to more; to put distance between them. It still involved having to climb over him but she had little choice in the matter. Sliding out from under the covers she tried as delicately as possible to climb over him. While getting out of bed this way was not new to her, thanks to her little coping method, it still felt totally unnatural with Jesse. She had only done this to him once before. As always her instinct with him was to cuddle into him and go back to sleep. She was thankful for once that her brain was in charge. She wasn't sure where it had been last night. She started to dress herself when she let a rather too loud "Ouch!" she had forgotten she had punched someone last night again because of him, followed shortly by "Oh god" as she heard a groan that sound suspiciously close and a little too conscious for her liking from someone who was sleeping.

"Getting ready to run again, why am I not surprised?" said a voice behind her with more than a little venom.

"No, I was just getting dressed." She answered, trying to sound open and hiding her annoyance. Whether it was; because he woke up before she could run out, or because he automatically assumed she would when even she herself wasn't sure, she didn't know.

"So, you weren't going to run out on me?" He asked his voice still full of sarcastic doubt.

"Honestly, I hadn't decided yet." She replied sighing. Her honesty shocked him silent. He obviously hadn't expected it from her. She guessed she deserved it, she thought sadly. 'No!' she told herself. 'That was 7 years ago, he can't judge me, he doesn't know me anymore, I've changed' she felt her anger growing.

"What? You think I would lie to you? You don't know me anymore! I've changed in the last seven years you know! It does happen!" She shot back at him.

"Yeah, it didn't take you long to change in college, but how would I know what else to expect from you it's not like you really gave anyone much chance to keep up with these 'changes'" He put air quotes round changes, "after you ran out after graduation an dropped everyone, even the Bellas, your best friends that you promised to be there for, what did you expect!" His voice was raised and Beca could sense he was mad. It was way too early for this conversation. She hadn't even had breakfast yet. She couldn't deal before breakfast.

"Ugh," she sighed running her hands over her face and through her hair, then spoke calmly "look, I'm starving and I can't function before breakfast, shocking I know I didn't always do breakfast, and I'm in a house I am seriously unwelcome in and I know I'm going to have to fight my way out cause I'm not sure I can get out the window and something tells me it would look even worse anyway. So, can I go get dressed and cleaned up in my own room and meet you for breakfast in the other house, please, I promise to be there but right now we are going nowhere but backwards." She finished her little speech and let out a deep breath. She had learned to take a step back in a situation like this and she had to admit, she was proud of herself for being able to apply it and not just to get caught up in the moment. If she wanted to fix things she had to show him and everyone that she had changed.

He sat there looking at her for a second. He was obviously shocked by her new more diplomatic approach. To be honest so was she. He seemed to come to his senses and process her word. She could see him calming the fight and anger leaving him, however temporarily.

"Okay, your right. Give me a second to get dressed and I'll help you get out alive." He said the last part lightly, almost jokingly but she could see the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. She smiled back, well; she would take what she could get. She continued to get dressed as he got out of bed and did the same. She couldn't help peeking out of the corner of her eye and smiled as she saw him do the same. If it wasn't for the overwhelming tension beneath the surface it was almost like old times.

Once they were both dressed he walked over to the door and with his hand on the door knob he turned to her.

"Ready to face the evils of the Treble house." He asked an almost joking tone to his voice.

"You joke but it really is dangerous out there. How would you like to be stuck in this situation in the Bella house?" She threw back.

"I can think of worse scenarios," he said with a grin, the truest one she had seen yet, although by no means complete, then something clouded his eyes and she knew what he was thinking about.

"Yeah, so can I, but like I said now really isn't the time to discuss it, and I really need your help to get out of here."

"Are you, Beca Mitchell, begging for my help?" he asked with a laugh.

"As much as I hate to admit it, yes, and it probably won't be the first time, especially after this." She said as she raised her right hand, it was red and slightly swollen but not broken. "It's not the first time I've punched someone because of you" she added.

"No, but I much preferred the aftermath this time to the first time, although I'm wondering if it will be the last time you punch someone because of me."

"Me too, it was terrible knowing you were upset with me, and I seriously hope it's the last time I have to, I guess your just a bad influence on me." She said a mischievous glint in her eye.

"If I didn't know better I'd think your whole speech about breakfast was just to the change the subject and not to get out of here, you know." He added before opening the door and peaking both ways down the corridor. "It's clear up to here." He took her hand, she relished in the sparks it sent through her and how safe that little contact made her feel, and lead her out. They crept along the corridor undetected. It was when they reached the end of the corridor and had to get across an open space to the door that a problem occurred. Some of the Trebles were already up and were lounging about on the seats and sofas in front of the TV. As running would attract attention they had no choice but to walk across and hope no one noticed. As they began to stroll casually towards the door whatever they were watching on the TV took that moment to fade to black silence and consequently for every Treble in the room to turn to look at the only source of noise in the room: Her.

Suddenly becoming aware of all the eyes on her she froze. 'Oh god here it comes.' Howling and whistles started up as some came over to pat Jesse on the back and congratulate him on getting a Bella 'Trebleboned'. She also heard the comments directed at her about her not being welcome as well as a string of names she did not wish to repeat. She looked to Jesse. He wasn't looking at her but it was clear he wasn't going to jump into protect her. At least he hadn't joined in she concluded as she tried to shuffle towards the door while they were busy discussing her. A shout stopped her dead.

"Hey! I know you, you're from L.A. aren't you?" one of the Trebles called out to her. 'Not now, here of all places' she thought as she turned to see someone she recognised from L.A., not that she had spent much time with him. She knew she had to say something before he could get it out.

"Don't even think it let alone say it!" she ordered as she rushed out the door nodding to Jesse to let him know breakfast was still on as she went.

As she walked towards her house she remembered back to their first 'break up'. It seemed insignificant and silly now. At the time it felt huge, like it was biggest and most life changing thing ever. That was hardly the case, she figured as she thought of all the things they had done to each other since.

Second Year at Barden

Everything seemed to go well for a while. Beca's doubts without Chloe's voice were eased by their win at regionals and the Trebles had not done any booing, apart from Bumper who came down to watch while he was in the area, and everyone had enjoyed it. She had kept an eye on the new girl but she did not make any advances. Only Beca was suspicious. Then out of the blue someone from his past turned up; an ex-girlfriend who he was apparently still friends with. In her opinion the girl wanted more than that. She was the archetypal blonde high school head cheerleader. Beca had never dealt well with them in high school. She did trust Jesse, she knew she had nothing to worry about but it still bothered her all the same. She felt that scary possessive feeling again, the one that she thought only came from alcohol and the new girl mixed together. She wasn't drunk this time though so she had nothing to blame it on. Naturally she started to close off, to protect herself from feelings she could only attribute to caring, perhaps even loving, someone too much. She had never been the jealous type but she had also never felt this way about anyone before, this strongly. She knew he could hurt her. Instinctively she tried to protect herself from it.

As it turned out the ex-girlfriend really wasn't a problem and was nothing more than a friend with no intentions of being anything more. She had a one night stand with another Treble and Jesse waved her off smiling the next morning, even agreeing to give said Treble her phone number, not that she would answer as the poor boy found out, it really was over between them. She felt stupid for feeling jealous but it still didn't ease her feelings any about the fact that she had been so insanely jealous, though she hid it well, from him at least anyway. At first he didn't notice her distance as everyone was so busy, but as she started to close off more to him, he began to react. He bought it up a few times but she brushed him off. Still the 'break up' didn't come until a few days later when she walked in and saw him standing very close to one of the new Bellas. Although she never told him, she thought they were kissing. The Bella had scampered off while she and Jesse had a fight that ultimately ended in them breaking up.

Anger hadn't had time to change form before both groups were called to perform together on stage at a university fundraiser for charity. It, unfortunately, wasn't the kind of thing they could get out of. Practice for the two groups had been tense and the rest of the group would relax as their leaders left, that's when they were able to really practice their own parts. Saturday soon came around and both groups got up on stage together, entering from opposite sides of the stage; the Bellas walking on in a line and taking their places on the right with Beca in the centre of them at the front of the stage, the Trebles running on and taking similar positions on the left with Jesse at the front. Jesse and Beca's hostile attitudes towards each other were apparent to everyone.

"There seems to be a little tension between the two leaders today. Let's hope they can still perform. We are lucky to see both the Bellas and the Treblemakers perform together for the first time due to the heated rivalry between them, but the members of both groups have assured us that it is a thing of the past, they are no more that friendly competitors who do their best to support each other. Well, as much as I would like to believe that I can't see anything friendly between these two. So let's see, I give you: The Barden Bellas and the Barden Treblemakers" Tommy Announced to the crowd as both groups got into positions.

They started to sing, the crowd going wild. Beca was having trouble singing and dancing with him so close, him singing, knowing he was mad at her. This was all separate from the effect his voice had on her, and the rest of the Bellas at times, it definitely made concentration on anything else difficult. There had only been one other time he had not sung directly to her, the finals last year. It wasn't that she wanted the attention; just that she knew what it meant. She had to do something. As she felt the beat in the song match she started to sing something else. The rest of the group continued on as though she hadn't, Fat Amy picking up the lead in her absence, the change almost seamless. They had enough experience from the past not to get distracted when she did this, they also knew not to join in with this particular song. Still it was obvious to the crowd that it was not in the original plan. Not that it didn't make it better, it did,

"Don't you forget about me" she started to sing the chorus. She was no longer facing the audience as she advanced on him. To start with he ignored her, continuing to sing his part, but he still found himself subconsciously moving towards her. After another few lines he joined in with her, Benji jumping in to take over his part. While they weren't used to losing their two leads part way through a song they managed to continue on anyway; the Trebles using their ability to quickly adapt and the Bellas their past experience. Beca and Jesse began to circle each other as they danced and sang to each other, while still staying in beat and time with the others although seemingly oblivious to anything but each other. As the songs ended together they stood facing each other, faces only an inch apart. As their hands holding the mic fell to their sides, their other hands found their way around the back of the others neck as they pulled each other in for a kiss meeting in the middle. The cheering crowd fell silent in shock as did the rest of the group on stage.

"Well, I guess we know what the hostility was about don't we. Lets thank them for performing and hope they never break up permanently or who knows what will happen between the two groups. I guess we all know why they are friendly now" Tommy announced again as they finished. The crowd started to cheer again.

Beca and Jesse broke apart and only then took in their surroundings. Beca was a little embarrassed; she blushed slightly, trying to hide her face. Jesse just looked at her and shrugged, obviously unaffected by the number of people that had witnessed their kiss. Then again an audience never really bothered him in that way. He just led the groups in a bow, still holding her hand and they all exited the stage.

It had taken another couple of fights before he cottoned on that she solved all their relationship problems with a kiss and he forgot why they had fought in the first place. After a while he realised what she was doing, he learned to bring up the subject in a calmer way after the kiss, or whatever it progressed to as it increasingly did the further into the relationship they got. Still a part of her remained closed off although she promised to be more open. She never told him why she had closed herself off before the 'break up'. She figured at the time that she never would.

She had reached the Bella house and managed to sneak in undetected. After she had dressed she realised she still had time before breakfast. Bravely, she ventured out to the sitting area in front of the TV where all the Bellas were hanging out. She found Chloe and Aubrey sitting in a corner and they beckoned her over.

"Well you had fun last night didn't you?" Aubrey started in a teasing tone, a smile on her face.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Beca denied.

"Really 'cause I heard this rumour that you punched her, and then stole her boyfriend, AND SPENT THE NIGHT IN THE TREBLE HOUSE!" Chloe put in, getting increasingly excited as she went through the list.

"Okay, number one: Jesse is NOT her boyfriend, number two: she totally deserved it and now my hand hurts, and three: It was his idea, I'm almost certain it was, could have been... whatever, the point is trying to get out of there was punishment enough." Beca defended.

"Wait, Jesse is the guy who Trebleboned you last night?" Chloe asked shocked, obviously that part had been left out, although probably because the last two generations of Bellas wouldn't know him.

"Seriously, still using that phrase?"

"Look, we understand, you guys have history but if you want to survive this week waking up in the enemies house is seriously dangerous Beca. You can't do it. And you can't bring him here either, just so you know." Aubrey warned.

"What? So you're saying even though we started this war we can't stop it, or at least make our own rules?"

"No. We're saying you can try to stop it but it's not your war anymore. Not since you left. No one even knows why it's going on anymore; they're just fighting because it's all they know. They don't understand how a Treble and a Bella can really co-exist let alone have the weird relationship you and Jesse have. Maybe it's best if you guys don't see each other again over the week. A drunken one night stand is okay, sort of, but anything more and you're in trouble, both of you." Aubrey explained.

"Look, I'm not waiting another 7 years or whatever for another chance okay? I have to make things right; with him and this whole war. But I can't fix this war until I fix the reason it started; me and him. I can't do that if I don't see him. Even if everyone's against us, maybe they will unite against us, I don't know. Either way I can't spend another 7 years without him, I won't."

"Okay, I just hope you know what you're doing" Aubrey said sincerely.

"Honestly, I have no idea." Beca sighed.

"Well, whatever it is, or ends up being, we're here with you." Chloe put in cheerily and Aubrey nodded in agreement.

"Thanks, but actually, why are you here? You're not actually Bellas from the last 10 years."

It was Chloe's turn to explain "Well, I guess the University was hoping for the war to end or something over this week, and they figured what better way than to invite the Trebles and the Bellas from the year it all started to change for the better in the first place. The only way the war ends now is total peace, the kind we had after we first won the finals not before when we hated but tolerated each other, otherwise it can't stick, it'll come back in weeks, like after that accident in your senior year."

"Okay it was totally their fault, I don't even know who started it but they tried to pin it on us, we nearly got into serious trouble for it." Beca suddenly felt very defensive. Suddenly it seemed like it was 7 years ago again. She had to get out before she reverted back and forgot everything she had learned since.

"Like you weren't planning to do the same thing to them, they just beat you to it and nobody was actually expelled."

"Okay I have to go, I promised to meet someone for breakfast and if I don't go now I'll be late. Hi" Beca excused herself as a man she recognised as the guy she had seen Chloe with in the shower came and sat down with Chloe.

"Oh you remember my husband right?" Chloe introduced him.

"Hi. And Bye. I'll see you later, Okay." With that Beca headed for the other house. From the tension and the looks she was getting in the Bella house and the welcome she got in the Treble house it seemed that the other house really was no-man's land. At least she hoped so. Maybe they would only judge her because of what she did. Not because she was a Bella and he was a Treble. She walked into the house feeling more positive. As she saw him sitting at the breakfast bar though with none other than the boy who recognised her from L.A. in the Treble house she felt an increasing fread build up inside her. He turned and smirked at her. 'This is not gonna be good' she thought. She had to stop him from telling Jesse, and everyone else while he was at it. At least like this. She had to act quick. He opened his mouth.

"So you remember me do you?" he called out to her. 'Oh god'

So let me know what you think. Reviews really do make me feel obligated to update faster but I won't ask for them although I do love to hear from you. If you can think of any songs let me know I will thank you in a note. Also if you think of a song that fits in the flashback let me know. I know I have not really answered any questions but possibly raised more. Some answers should come next chapter, in the form of seems that it will take a few chapters to get through a day due to the flashbacks so it looks like I'll be writing for a while. And watching the film repeatedly while I do to keep momentum on the story up. Anyway I'm babbling again, I hope you enjoyed it and let me know what you think.